Project Carthage
by DarkDreamer253
Summary: You've heard mention that XANA was created to stop Carthage, now you'll learn what Carthage is all about. What the government did with the project, why Franz tried to stop them, and who exactly took part in the project, even unwilling participants. This follows the story of a girl who was part of the project and while she's there, she learns the truth about why she's really there.


**Author's Note/Disclaimer: So, another Code Lyoko fanfic. This one takes place before any of the seasons, having to do with sector 5. Remember how XANA was created to destroy project Carthage? Well, this is a story about what happened in Carthage and the events that lead up to the creation of XANA. A prequel to my fanfic Return of XANA. And, if you want to count it, Touched By XANA, though Touched By XANA isn't technically connected to either fics.**

***looks around the room* Now where did I put the rights for Code Lyoko? Oh, wait. I forgot, I don't own Code Lyoko.**

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A little girl looked at herself in the mirror. She had naturally icy blue hair, styled up in short little curls. She hated how curly her hair was, but her mother loved it. She liked it better when it grew out and was only wavy. Her eyes were a deep red color, which she didn't like. She thought it was creepy to have red eyes. She was wearing a white dress with a pink sash, as she was meant to be at the party downstairs.

She didn't want to go, so every once in awhile, she managed to sneak back up to her room for a little while. She liked it better here, though her mother had it decorated all girly and frilly, which she didn't like. Still, she felt better when she was alone in her room.

She was still staring at her reflection as if concentrating on something. As she continued, the image in the mirror started to shift. It turned into a starry night sky, her reflection disappearing in the image completely. She smiled at the sight, always wishing she could see a sky like that, but couldn't since she lived in the city and her mother rarely let her go outside at night.

"Analese!" Her mother shouted her name angrily," Get down here right now! I know you're in your room! Don't make me come up there!"

She sighed and went down at her mother's call. Her mother started yelling, but she was hardly paying attention. She was looking off, imagining the night sky again. She then heard the door knock and another person come in. She lit up when she saw him.

"Daddy!," she ran over, completely ignoring her complaining mother, and hugged him.

The tall man picked her up and spun her around a few times, her laughing the whole time. "So, how's my big girl been doing?" He asked her once he had her steady in his arms.

"I've grown a whole three inches in the two months you were gone!" Analese told that to him excitedly, a big grin on her face.

"Really?" He looked at her surprised," No wonder you were so much heavier when I picked you up. You've gotten so much bigger!"

"I'm gonna be bigger than you soon, right daddy?" Analese asked him with a smile.

"No doubt about it," her father said with a smile," Now, why don't you go have fun while I talk with mommy, okay?"

Analese nodded and left her father, going into the kitchen to see if she couldn't get any snacks from her one of her uncles or aunts since she couldn't reach the counter yet.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"How long do you plan on doing this, Richard?" Analese's mother had brought up the question to her husband," She rarely sees you and when she does, you don't stay long enough to get to know her. I mean, do you even know how much time she sends in her room or what she's allergic to or even what her favorite color is?"

"I know it's not ideal that I don't get to see her, but this job is the only thing keeping us from loosing everything," Richard told his wife," Remember that we didn't actually pay for any of this. My boss is paying for all of it as long as I continue you my research. We wouldn't be able to afford all this if he didn't. I have to keep this job, Luna."

"Well, it's either loose your job or loose your daughter," Luna warned him," She's already three years old and you've seen her a total of ten times, including the day she was born. Her life is passing right by and you're missing it. One day, you're going to blink your eyes and she's already going to be eighteen and you'll realize 'Where have all the years gone?' and wonder why you ever kept that stupid job."

"It's not stupid, it's necessary," Richard told her," I'm helping them develop programs that can change the world for the better. I'm working on a program right now that could eliminate nuclear power. It's good for the world."

"It's not good for our life together," Luna sighed," It's like you don't care at all."

"I do, really," Richard said," I just can't afford to quit this job. It's the only thing keeping us from loosing the house."

"I could care less about the house!" Luna had all but shouted," Your daughter needs her father! Besides, we can get a new house, one that costs less. It doesn't matter what kind of life we live as long as we're happy. I hate to do this, but if you don't quit, I'm going to take Analese and leave."

"What? You can't do this!" Richard got upset at the news," I love Analese, you can't take her from me!"

"Yes, I can," Luna threatened," You have three days, then I leave." She then left him, moving to the other room.

Analese had heard the last few minutes of the conversation. She ran up to her father with a few tears in her eyes and he picked her up. "Daddy, are you going to leave us?"

"No, I promise you I'll never leave," he smiled to her and hugged her tight.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Analese was in her room, which was different looking in the new house. It was more her style with few darker colors, mostly because her mom couldn't afford to paint it. She was starting to let her hair grow out, the length reaching her shoulders now, but her mother told her she had to get it cut soon.

It had been four years since her mother took her and left the old house. They stayed at her aunt's house for awhile at first, then moved out once her mother could buy a house. They'd been living in this new house for three of the four years since they left.

Analese was staring at the mirror again in her new room, letting the image change again. This time, it wasn't just the image that change, some of it came out of the mirror and floated around the edge of the mirror. She still couldn't do it away from the mirror.

There was then a knock at the door and she brightened. She ran out to see her mother open the door and her father come in. "Daddy, you're early!" She smiled happily at him.

"That's because I was anxious to see you," he told her, picking her up," Oh, you've grown so big since I saw you last month. I can hardly carry you now."

"You said you weren't coming until next month," her mother complained.

"Well, I managed to get some time off my job," he explained," In fact, I've got a whole month off and I plan on keeping Analese with me the whole time."

"When were you going to discuss this with me?" Luna seemed rather annoyed now," This isn't what we agreed. You're only supposed to keep her a day, maybe two."

"No, what we agreed was that as long as I was off work, I could keep her with me as long as I want," Richard reminded her," I plan on keeping her the whole month and it's not against the custody terms, so there's really nothing you can do about it."

"And do you still plan on having her next month as well?" Luna had her arms crossed as she asked this.

"No, I had to give up my time off for the rest of the year to set this up," Richard told her," I just wanted to see her for more than a couple days. Mostly because I have something special planned for her. Just a little gift, nothing serious."

"As long as you won't see her for the rest of the year, fine," Luna finally agreed," I just expect to see her back here in a month."

"Of course," Richard smiled," So say goodbye to mom and then we'll go, alright?"

Analese nodded and hugged her mother, saying," Bye mommy, I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you more," her mother hugged her back," Have fun with dad, okay?"

Analese just nodded, then went with her father. He took her out of the house and to his car, helping her in and buckling her. He then started driving back to his house.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

They arrived at the old house, which his father had kept even after they left. He'd redecorated her room in a way that she liked, no more pink frilly stuff all over. Once they were inside the house, she asked him," So what's my gift?"

"I'm taking you somewhere tomorrow," her father told her," You'll love it. We'll be staying there the whole month and we'll have so much fun. But you have to pack first and so do I. That's why we're going tomorrow instead of today."

"Okay," she agreed. She couldn't wait to see where it was they were going. She went up to her room and immediately started packing the clothes she had there. She wanted to be ready for tomorrow.

The next day, she had her things all ready and her father put the suitcase in the car. He then helped her buckle in again and he started driving. He didn't stop until it was practically night again. When he did, they were in a forest near an open area with a fire pit, picnic bench and even a couple of outlets on a wooden post.

"Welcome to our campground," he smiled," I rented it for the whole month. We'll be staying in a tent and there won't be any street lights to block out the stars. The sky is much more beautiful lit up with stars."

"Wow, we really get to stay?" She was really happy about that," Thank you!" She hugged him, then got out.

"Unpack your things while I set everything up," he told her, laughing a bit," It'll take about an hour, so you can look around after, but don't go too far."

Analese nodded, unpacked, then went off. She came back once her father had the tent and everything set up. It was late by then, so he'd started a fire. They sat in front of it for awhile before he told her it was time for sleep.

She went into the tent with him to sleep, looking through the screen in the top of the tent as she lat there. She could see the stars and smiled. She knew she would have fun this month.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

It was almost five and Analese was getting ready for a party at a friend's house. It had been four years since she last saw her father for the camping trip. He kept making up excuses not to pick her up whenever he was supposed to come get her. He had told her he'd come today, but she'd agreed to come to the party since she expected him to cancel.

She had just finished getting ready when a knock came at the door. She thought it was her friend, come to walk with her back to her house, but she opened to see her father there.

"My, aren't you dressed nice," he smiled at her clothes, which made her look more grown up," How's my little girl?"

"I'm eleven dad," she complained," Stop treating me like a little kid."

"But you are a kid to me," he told her," So, why are you dressed up like that?"

"I'm going to a party," she told him," Maybe you could come tomorrow after I come back."

"Alright," he sighed," I'll try to see if I can get work off tomorrow, but I may not be able to. I'll try and come see you tomorrow."

"Whatever," Analese scowled, walking out the door," I'm going to go meet my friend at the corner. Guess I'll see you tomorrow, if you decide to show up."

"Hey, I don't choose this," he told her," It's my job."

"Yeah, sure it is!" She shouted at him," You come see me so little, it's almost like you don't want to see me! Well maybe I don't want to see you!" She then stormed off, leaving her father very upset. He left with a sad look on his face.

He came back the next day for Analese to open the door. "Look, I'm sorry about yesterday," he explained," I guess I made you angry and I didn't mean to do that."

"Yeah, well, it doesn't matter," she still seemed a bit angry," Just leave and maybe you'll feel better."

"I came to pick you up," he said," Why are you acting like this?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because I'm eleven years old and I haven't seen you since I was seven," she countered," Or maybe because when I do see you, I don't see you for more than a minute before you say you have to leave because your job called you back. Maybe it's that you just don't care enough to quite so you can see me."

As she yelled, her ability started to show itself, the area around her flashing to the night sky she always thought of when using it. It was a small image and she could only do it away from the mirror when she was angry. Her father looked surprised when he saw that.

"Was that... you?" He asked her after he saw it.

"What does it matter?" She still had a bit of an angry tone in her voice.

"It... doesn't," he still seemed like he was thinking about something, but kept it to himself," Anyway, please, why don't you come with me? We can still be together."

"I'd rather not," she sighed," I just really don't want to see you right now." She closed the door. He once again left with a sad look on his face.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

It was another week when she thought he came back. He didn't even warn her, just knocked on the door. Her mother wasn't home, so she answered to see someone else there, a big burly man. He grabbed her and took her towards a van, holding her mouth to stop her from screaming and eventually making her pass out.

She was driven somewhere and woke up to see they were moving her. She struggled as she was taken through some kind of weird lab, knowing that be all the people in lab coats. They threw her into one of the rooms.

"Welcome to Carthage," the man said," You'll be a great new addition to our projects. I hope you like your room." He then slammed the door on her.

She looked around with a sad look. She got up to feel the cold floor beneath her feet. They had taken her clothes, putting her in a plain light blue long sleeved shirt and pants, like hospital clothes. The metal room was mostly silver, the gold and white covers on the bed and the little camera in the corner being the only things of different colors. The florescent lights shone off the floor, making it seem to glow at some parts. She noticed a door on one wall of the room, probably a bathroom.

She was just looking, still feeling the shock of what happened. She then started crying, curling up in a ball on the floor. Right now, all she could think was that she missed her mother and father.

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**So, what did you think? Interesting, no? That's just the start of it though. It gets much more interesting later. Review if you liked it!**


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